What a difference one week makes!
Our objective was simple enough…
After my trip to the Philippines for a milestone event around bamboo reforestation I would fly through Kuala Lumpur, where Peta and I would meet up, with her flying from Viet Nam. We would then go together to Sri Lanka, to finally bring our 3 year-long chapter in Sri Lanka to a close. During the 9 months that we have lived in Viet Nam since the ISIS attack in Sri Lanka, we have used our home in Sri Lanka for home exchanges and as well to keep Nilu (our house keeper/manager) employed. But now, after almost a year, it is time to wrap it up and bring closure to our home there and the timing is pertinent as Peta needs to leave Viet Nam at the end of March for a visa run. So if we have to go somewhere and we do, we might as well use the visa run as an opportunity to close out Sri Lanka so that we no longer have costs associated with keeping that going. We would buy one way tickets and likely spend ten days to two weeks so that we could slowly do what needs to be done, and be able to enjoy the process and our good bye to our Sri Lankan life.
Soon after I left for my work trip to the Philippines, Peta began to voice concern about the risk factor and the potential stress of our managing to successfully meet up in Kuala Lumpur, given all the flight cancellations people were already experiencing due to the impact from Corona Virus. What if one of us made it there and the other was not able to? It felt potentially too stressful, so we changed plans. We decided that I would go home to Viet Nam first, for 3 days and we would travel to Sri Lanka together from the start. Okay, this made more sense. More travel for me, but better for us as a couple with less risk of one of us being stranded somewhere. At least we would be together.
But things did not go quite as planned, yet again.
By the time we arrived at our home in Sri Lanka, Viet Nam’s Corona Virus rate had climbed from 3 isolated cases to 11 in Viet Nam. Not hugely significant compared with Korea or Italy because Viet Nam has been highly proactive from the get go. The sudden shut-down café on our favorite beach in Hoi An anecdote in our previous blog post, turned out to be prophetic of a looming, larger development.
Peta, with her social media tentacles giving regular updates from on the ground in Hoi An, informs me that things were turning quickly. Restaurants that cater to foreigners were closing and there were stories of cab drivers no longer wanting to pick up foreigners. Our Vietnamese hosts are beginning voicing their displeasure with Western foreigners’ blatant disregard for the mask-wearing culture, seemingly casual about their personal responsibility in keeping the virus from spreading. In the U.S. Americans let their racism show by pointing to the Chinese as bat-eating, virus prompting aliens to be avoided and blamed. The reverse racism against Europeans, and by shortcut, all white foreigners, seems to be taking hold in Viet Nam.
Arriving at our little jungle nest on the Southern coast near Galle, it feels great to be home. How strange to be back after almost a year and yet, we are home. Our clothes, books, Peta’s paintings, our photo albums are all still here. The beds are made, the house is clean. When we left in May 2019, we each had one suitcase with us, and we return now with almost empty suitcases so as to be able to bring stuff back. The birds wake us with a symphony of calls as the day dawns, just as they always did. The monkeys are there to greet us above our bathroom garden. The jack fruit trees are full of fruit, not quite yet ripe, but the grey langurs are eagerly awaiting this annual treat.
We have three days before our house sale of household goods on the weekend, to go through our possessions and slowly get ready.
We take time to go to some of our favorite places and reconnect with good friends in between sorting, pricing, staging the house and taking care of business … a walk through the rice fields up the hill to our favorite yoga shala in the jungle, a swim and lunch at one of our favorite beach spots. We are taking care of what we need to but at the same time, enjoying being transported back to our life and home in Sri Lanka.
~ ~
It is during the frenzy of our house sale, with people coming and going, on Saturday morning, just three days after we arrive, that the first shoe drops.
“Um, seems we might have a problem. We can’t fly back into Danang. We can’t get home” Peta tells me calmly. Our local airport, in Viet Nam, has shut down.
In between converting Sri Lankan rupees prices to dollars, answering questions, dealing with people haggling over prices, at the back of our minds we are both eager for the sale to be done so that we can process this sudden development. Corona has not had an impact in Sri Lanka, yet. Culture here dictates hand shaking. We offer our elbows and hand sanitizer. We get some very dumbfounded looks by locals. In a few hours, almost all the big items are snatched up and the rest we distribute to neighbors and families in need that we know.
Finally everyone leaves and our house is calm again. We consider viable options..
We could perhaps fly into Saigon airport in Viet Nam and then figure out a way to get to Hoi An, maybe by train or bus. I reach out to Vietnamese colleagues to check this out and find out that the situation is more dire… no visas being issued, and most of the flights coming into Viet Nam are being cancelled.
Okay, necessity is the mother of invention, so we come up with a more circuitous route. We could fly to Laos, and then drive across the border, through Central Viet Nam to make our way back. An impromptu adventure. More checking, and I am told that this could possibly work, but there is definitely a risk, and authorities might well quarantine us upon entry. 14 days in a Vietnamese military base is not an option we want to expose ourselves to.
Plan B? We always have a plan B.
We had recently discussed, changing our home base in Asia, from Viet Nam to Bali at some point, especially after Ben’s recent grueling travel times back and forth. Much as we both love living in Hoi An, it would be a shorter flying time to the Philippines from Bali for Ben’s work. And nowhere are we healthier than when in Bali. Bali is our plan B. Now Corona Virus and our inability to return to Viet Nam has forced our hand.
~ ~
One of the concerns we have about closing out Sri Lanka is for our ‘Sri Lankan family’ and housekeeper Nilu. We wanted to help her transition to a different reality since Bandu’s tragic death 2 years ago. We kept her $200/month salary going as long as possible. Peta has found her 3 new job opportunities. Her survival is assured. (Part of what we wanted to achieve to get closure on our Sri Lankan chapter. )
Nilu it turns out, has her own plan. She has been saving part of her salary for the past 2 years, and has used it to complete her house. This was Bandu’s dream for his family. She added a Western style modern bathroom and finished the bedrooms with floors, doors, windows etc. She has found renters, a British family who want to rent it for 3 years. She and her boys will live in a smaller house nearby that Bandu had bought years back. Between the rent that comes in and her laundry business using the industrial strength washing machine and savings that many of you so generously contributed to, Nilu and her boys, we are happy to report, will be fine.
Nilu tells us, “I don’t want hard job. I only want job like job you give me. At home for my sons. Big money, little work”. We all laugh together. In addition to the delicious curry meals that she makes for us, Nilu has gone to the Ayurvedic doctor to bring us Corona Virus plant medicine and a small square of condensed herbal medicine that she puts inside a white band and ties around our arms to protect us. “Now you okay” she declares with confidence.
~ ~
My whatsapp starts to buzz off the hook and the second shoe drops.
President Duterte has announced a national emergency and declares Manila, in the Philippines on lock down, for the foreseeable future. No more flights in or out. This means that the Bali to Mindanao path has obviously closed.
Things are moving at rapid pace globally impacting our Plan B.
The U.S. is finally gearing up and taking CoVid19 seriously. The President stopped tweeting about a Democratic hoax. Rising numbers, but still low level to what will become apparent once they start large scale testing. The chief doctor for the U.S. Congress is now predicting that, having failed miserably to take early measures, containment is in fact no longer a sufficient strategy.
If the world’s two current models were China, with its draconian 40 million population lock down that seems to have produced a flattening curve, or the initially lacsadasycal Italian government response, which led to a dramatic country-wide infection spike, it seems that the U.S., as a result of its own inaction and Trump Administration prior decision to decimate global health funding previously put in place by the Obama administration, has essentially gutted the US Government‘s ability to respond quickly and forcefully.
The U.S. congress physician now predicts a possible range between 70 Million and 150 Million Americans infected. Even at the low end of that range and even with a 1% of fatalities, that could mean 700,000 deaths in the U.S. That’s an eye-popping prediction that would change life in the U.S. as we know it.
We must bring all this rapidly evolving Corona Virus information back to our immediate filter of what to do in the coming days.
We are forced to think about the problem differently. Already the group of nationals who are, effective immediately, banned from entering the U.S. has expanded from the handful of high incidence countries (China, Iran, Italy, South Korea) to a much broader set of European countries.
The U.S. health care debacle around the lack of test kits will eventually be remedied. By Saturday morning, the media reports a coming 1million test kits, then 4 million kits, and some 2000 labs that are soon to go “on line” to start processing anyone who has symptoms.
What this means to me is that the relatively low level of reported U.S. infected cases will go through the roof.
And when this happens, how will the world react?
My personal best guess is that U.S. passport holders will become travelers non gratta. Of course, some governments are recommending travel be kept to a minimum. But we have no choice. When you are global residents, as we are, by definition we need to travel somewhere to hunker down, unless we wanted to just stay put in Sri Lanka. That is not an option. The health care system is deplorable and we believe that although the numbers here are very low right now, the reason is probably because there has been no testing and it is just a matter of time…
Going to the U.S. as plan C? Not an option financially, and jumping head first into a situation that is about to blow exponentially just doesn’t make any more sense than going say to Italy or France.
We start to dig deeper for a Plan C. Maybe we put into play NOW a long term plan for a future home base (which was to come after Asia), closer to family, that we had been toying with.
While the actual threat and level of lethality is entirely different, my mind turns to my own family’s behavior on the eve of WWII. European Jews have long debated the issues around how it is possible that so many Jews failed to act, failed to leave in the face of Hitler’s rise. Didn’t they see it coming? My family was of two minds. On my father’s side (born in Poland), the reading of the signs led to an “act now, move away from the threat NOW”. And so they did and moved to Brazil, a far away country. They lived in Brazil for a few years, until they could go back to France after the war. They survived. The other side of the family, on my mother’s side, was not so quick to pull the trigger. Most of that side of the family died in concentration camps. Forgive me for using the WWII analogy as I don’t mean to suggest that we are facing a similar tragedy. But the general theme that things are moving fast all around us is palpable. Staying one step ahead is a smart survival strategy.
We opt to take the “move quickly” approach.
We are not panicking, but we are clear that we need to decide very quickly and move fast. Book tickets and fly to a new home base asap.
~ ~
It is Sunday morning. Our house is almost empty. The mattress we slept on will be picked up on Monday, along with our fridge. Now comes the final round. Where are we going?
We decide to triangulate around 5 concepts: It must be nearer our family this time if at all possible; It must be low cost living; It must be in a warm climate; it needs to have favorable visa terms and finally it would be good if we spoke the language.
I make my last cup of coffee in Sri Lanka and ask Peta to pack immediately whatever we will bring to our new home base and be ready to go.
By 12pm Sunday, I have bought tickets. We leave in 4 hours!
Our first flight takes us from Colombo to Doha, Qatar.
Our second flight (the longest ~ 14 hours) takes us from Qatar to JFK, New York.
Our third and final flight will take us from JFK to Mexico City.
And from there…
We will start a new chapter of our lives in Mexico.
Desde manana, un nuevo capitula de nuestra vida empezara en Mejico. Hasta cuando? Donde? No sabemos. Pero, todo bien. Tranquilo. Asi es la vida. Nunca aburrido!
You too never fail to amaze me with your resourcefulness! Good luck in this new venture.
As they say “Necessity is the mother of invention!”.
Thanks
Ben
Ah! Mexico city!
My mom lives in San Miguel de Allende. Unfortunately fear is starting to ramp up there as well. The good news is that you’re not far from the US the day this all gets under control…which might be a while…
In the meantime we are in lockdown in Spain. It’s going to be a tough time for everyone.
We landed in Mexico City and drove through it with a quick escape from the city to the mountains and the forests.
Driving though the city it seemed business as usual ~ buzzing with people, activity, street vendors, music, traffic…. At some point we will return for some exploration but for now we want to be immersed in nature.
Yes we heard that San Miguel de Allende is under lockdown. Most likely due to the large number of North Americans living there.
Hard times for all, but a time to retreat within.
Ben
Best wishes to you both as you settle in a new home.
Thanks
What an amazing few weeks of testing your resolve. Hoping Mexico City is wonderful. Matt is scheduled to go there April 4 for spring break. What is your assessment of this possibility?
Stay healthy.
Marilyn, it boiled down to four days. We had hoped to be in Sri Lanka at a more leisurely pace but it was not to be.
Driving through Mexico City it appeared that everything was life as normal. But this in a way felt a bit alarming. Clearly the virus is not here yet, but no doubt it will be, just a matter of time. Not sure I would travel right now for pleasure, but only if absolutely necessary. The airports in the U.S. are an absolute mess and the notion of social distancing there is a joke. Seems like an unnecessary risk to take at this point, not just for him, but for others as he is travelling from the U.S. which is an unknown due to lack of testing.
Ben
Oh my god, you guys! I wish I had your flexibility (both kinds, actually, as I see you sitting cross-legged on the floor 🙂 ). Selfishly speaking, I am thrilled you will be closer to us now! As you may know, Jeff works regularly in CDMX although things right now are very volatile with Mexico pretty much oblivious to what is happening with Covid-19. 🙁
What a series of thought processes you went through; I can’t even imagine working though all the variables. So will you simply abandon anything you had in Hoi An? (Very good practice for that non-attachment, I guess …). Sending you huge hugs and good wishes for whatever comes next!
Lex, one of the main motivations of selecting Mexico is proximity to our sons. While we both love Asia and could easily have selected Bali, the prospect of potentially not being able to get to visit family for who knows how long, just was not appealing.
There is a reason Ben is a strategist for a living. He definitely has a unique talent for thinking on the fly and through complex multi level problems. I am actually quite sad to not return to Hoi An as I was loving living there.. We have a friend staying in our place right now fortunately and so hopefully we can have her sort through our belongings in the next few weeks and have her send what we absolutely need and sell what can be sold. Another lesson in non attachment for sure.
Thanks Lex
Hugs back your way xoxo
After reading, word for word, your post I’m exhausted from the tension. You both are amazing!
Buena Suerte en su nueva pais!
How about buying a TINY HOUSE in the USA? You can hook it up to a truck and live where ever you choose. There are even Tiny House communities.
Ah Judith we are exhausted too after 60 hours of travel, but we finally arrived in Mexico. Not quite the relaxing visit and close out in Sri Lanka we had hoped for. But such is life. We got it done and most importantly we got out in time.
We have always loved the TINY HOUSE idea. However, the U.S. is not particularly appealing as a destination right now, Aside from the Corona Virus situation which is about to explode there, the fact that fifty percent of the population still remain supportive of the current president, is both mind blowing and off putting to say the least. No better illustration of the prevailing crazy is the latest reporting that there has been a surge in the purchase of guns and ammunition, in response to the CV crisis.
Ben & Peta
Whoa! What a ride reading this post! Safe travels and a soft landing in Mexico!!!
Stay safe and healthy while the world rides this thing out,
Hugs (socially distant ones) from Deb
Thanks Deb, what a ride indeed! For the second time in two years, while we have been away an external event has prevented us from returning to our home base. Good thing we have global flexibility built in our DNA.
Thanks and hugs to you too
Ben
Peta and Ben, what a rollercoaster of developments these last few days have been. I am in awe of your resourcefulness and quick decision making.
You guys are truly amazing and totally inspiring. Good luck with your new life in Mexico, it is a great country and you speak the language, sounds like a very good option indeed.
A roller coaster indeed. Definitely sad to not go back to Viet Nam, and our home there as actually it is probably one of the safest places to be right now. The government moved fast and decisively and were able to contain the spread. They were the one of the first to close schools down at a time when there was quite a bit of surprise by many at that action. That and other stringent measures certainly paid off. And in Hoi An, not one case.
Thanks Gilda for the compliments. We have been here but a few hours and already the ability to communicate with the locals has been a welcome novelty.
So great meeting you both!!
Ben
Ahhhh another adventure . You guys will make a “home “ wherever you go .
Erica, yes. We can’t wait to see what kind of life we put together in Mexico.
Ben
This post held me at every. single. word! You two are awe-inspiring!! Good luck with your new adventure. I look forward to following.
Donna thank you!
Stay tuned…
Ben
Wow! What a page turner of a story! Your lives continue to fascinate me because of your resilience and problem solving. The word “nomad” doesn’t come close to describing your lives!
My best wishes for a safe and easy landing in Mexico. Stay well!!
Joanne it is interesting that you chose the word resilience. For several years now I have looked at available solutions for disaster risk reduction due to climate change and community resilience. The fundamental truth of it is that “shit happens” Climate change has and will continue to deliver crises but a community’s resilience is all about how it manages and responds to these crises. Preparedness of course is the first ingredient but the ability to take action quickly as a reaction to the crisis is often a key factor for that communities resilience. I guess all this reading about community resilience must have seeped through and given us the tools to react accordingly. While this particular crisis is not related to climate change it has the same feel of large scale out of control external events that must be dealt with.
Thanks for the good wishes.
Ben
I love you both. Welcome to the hemisphere. Not boring.
Hahahah that’s excellent! Thanks for extending the hemispheric welcome mat. Hope to see you in Mexico. Every day reading about Iran we think of you guys and how lucky you have been with your timing and decision not to proceed.
Never boring!
B&P
xoxo
Wow! I do not know if I could have moved through your deliberations and changing circumstances with such aplomb! Amazing.
Best wishes on Mexico City. What an exciting adventure!
Stay healthy!
Louise, now that this has happened to us for the second time… ie being away from our home base country when the “shit hits the fan” we are becoming quite adroit!
No plans to live in Mexico city, for now we are heading to nature starting with the mountains and then the coast.
thanks, and you too.
Ben
Totally mind blowing! You are not only creative, practical, decisive, and mindful, you have the ability to take us with you each step. Better than my favorite mystery authors at building the suspense. Can’t wait for the next installment. Hoping settling in will go smoothly, but also knowing you two will handle it whatever. Asking blessings to help make your landing pleasant.
Eileen thanks for the terrific comment and compliment. Love to be seen as a having provided a good page turner and to have beat out your favorite mystery authors.
We are looking forward to the next installment as well.Thanks for the blessings…
Ben
Haaaaa you guys are f—king amazing I loved ever minute of reading this.
I think a book of your travels and adventures are in order. You are certifiable!!! Mexico that was completely out of the blue I had no clue it would be Mexico. Great! A new adventure. Isn’t that truly what life is.
You do it with more grace and sponk than most. Thanks for sharing. Keep me posted I’m still in Florida and keeping a low profile.
Heidi, good to hear from you. Glad to be providing reading entertainment.
Interestingly enough we had been toying with the concept of Mexico just the last few months primarily because Peta ‘s priority was now that she wanted us to be closer to the kids once the Asian chapter comes to a close. Just did not think it would happen this quickly as we were hoping to have an extended stay in Bali first, but when push came to shove, we just fast tracked to Mexico under the circumstances.
“Grace and sponk” That’s a good combo. We’ll take that…
Ben
Wow !!!! I just don’t know what to say. You are both amazing ,resilient, flexible, adventurous,
Talk to you once you are settled. I love you both, stay well
Gros bisous 😘
Soph!! Now I know what it takes to get you to comment on the blog! Hahah Maybe your third comment in ten years, WOO HOO!
Thanks for the accolades and look forward to connecting soon.
Just for the record, you did not come to Nicaragua. You did not come to Sri Lanka. You did not come to visit us in Viet Nam. So now Sophie consider this a gauntlet. Look forward to your visiting us in Mexico once we find a home base. You have been put on notice. Stay safe in your beautiful new environment.
Gros bisous.
Ton p’tit frere.
Thanks so much for sharing your story, it was a real page turner! 😉 I love that you embrace change. Kudos on finding your spot and settling in as best as possible to begin a new chapter. I’m sure your family is happy that you’re so much closer now.
Your assessment of the “president” and what’s happening in the US is spot on. Not only are we facing the health crisis without a competent administration, we are in the middle of an election cycle and a probable recession. Fortunately, state leaders are stepping up and taking the lead.
We are self-isolating. It’s all a bit surreal to say the least and I don’t think life will ever again be the same. But, hopefully, we will all come out of it stronger and wiser and with a new president.
Be well…
Change as we see it, is the only constant. For sure our kids have been very supportive and tracking our every movement to get back to as one of our sons says “the promised land”.
Unfortunately for us all, my assessment of the political situation goes one step further. I would not at all be surprised if the current president used the current crisis to postpone the election. Depends what the numbers look like by November, but I ask myself “what would Putin do?” And seeing as Putin just managed to get himself in a position to be president for life, I see no reason not to extrapolate that Putin’s puppet won’t try something like that. And if you think that is a delusional step too far and that the U.S. democratic system would just not tolerate it, I invite you to reflect on the other myriad of unthinkable steps that this president has taken and that the allegedly robust check and balance system has managed to deliver for him.
Ben
It is not at all a delusional step too far, we’ve had the same thought since the beginning of the health crisis reaching the US. He is already tagging himself as a wartime president, setting the stage.
Thank you again for sharing. it is interesting to hear your thought process and modeling alternate plans.
Thanks Michele. Given we have had to do this before.. ie when ISIS struck Sri Lanka and we were away from the country and had to real time come up with alternate life plans, we are getting quite good at it. The way we see it, is that if we are together, then we can make a life in one of many different places in the world, it is just a question of finding the right fit at the right time.
Ben
How bittersweet to have to leave behind so many memories in so many places. Here’s hoping Mexico is good to you.
Peggy, bittersweet indeed. Ben is upset because he feels he did not have enough Banh Mih in Hoi An while we were there… hahaha. He says lesson learned “eat while you can”.
Peta
Oh my goodness. It must have been quite something to work through all this. I really admire your calm and flexibility. Amazing. Wishing you all the best in your new place. Stay safe there.
Tracey, thanks for your comments. I am not surprised at my own flexibility and calm in the storm but I continue to be so appreciative of Peta’s equal ability to weather the storm. It would be impossible to do this if we were not fully in synch and of equal temperament when under pressure. Our own version of the tango.
Ben
Ben, you are, as you say, global travelers by choice and noone I know is more resourceful than you two. You’re putting it into practise. Wishing you luck and a happy future in Mexico 🙂 🙂
Well thank you Johanna. Looking forward to sculpting our life in Mexico and sharing our new adventures on our green global trek.
Ben
Absolutely amazing!!! So much love to u both ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks Tes. Wondering what the CV situation is in South Africa? Has it hit there yet?
Love to you too
xo
P
I hung on every word. You two are the models of ingenuity, practicality, adaptability and positive spirit. Mexico is such a wonderful country and now you will be so much closer to your family! I shall look forward to more updates. For now best wishes in settling in.
Sue
That’s quite a string of attributes Sue. I think I will update my Linked In profile with those traits.
We have not spent much time in Mexico actually, other than a conference in Puebla years back on bamboo. Since one of our daughter in laws is Mexican/American it’s fun to be able to flesh out our own experience with the Mexican heritage which now flows through our family.
Thanks for the good wishes.
Peta
Talk about embracing life with equanimity…you guys are a beautiful example of how staying calm and present with what IS makes all the difference in adapting to whatever crises arise in life. Your attitude helps other people stay calm, too.
Take good care and enjoy your new life in Mexico. Perhaps now that you’re so much closer we’ll actually meet in person one of these days!
Laurel, interesting foot note, if we had hesitated, we would be stuck in Sri Lanka just as we thought might happen. We just heard today that Sri Lanka has closed the airport to all incoming flights and if there are no incoming flights then there are no planes to go out. Much as we loved living there when we did, we have moved on and would not have been pleased to be stuck there. So yes, staying calm is definitely an important attribute in challenging times.
It would be wonderful to meet you both. Perhaps you will drive across the border in your RV once everything settles down….?
Ben
What a journey and now yet another exciting entry toward the new; and best of all being closer to loved ones will certainly provide you the peace of mind you so deserve!! Buena suerte mis amigos❤️
Thanks Lois, so nice to read you on here. Wondering how things are going re Corona Virus in Cincinnati and in Costa Rica?
Ben
I agree with everyone about how resilient you both are. What an incredible life you two live. We just came home from India because we also were worried about getting quarantined somewhere. And when locals walk into a restaurant, take one look at you and leave, you know it’s time to get out. Our most surreal experience coming home through Singapore was flying into the Seattle airport. Watching on CNN the ridiculous mess people were put through flying into the US from Europe we weren’t sure what to expect in Seattle. We went through the Global Entry in one minute speaking to no one, picked up our bags and walked through customs and rechecked our bags for Denver and walked to our gate. No temperature check, no questionnaire to fill out, no one asking questions about where we’ve been and absolutely no information offered about the Coronavirus – the exact opposite of what we experienced in Sri Lanka and India. I felt like I was in an episode of The Twilight Zone!
As always, wishing you and your loved ones happiness and good health.
Steven and Annie, your experience in Seattle is exactly why it is likely that the U.S. numbers will sky rocket. There is no unified nationwide guidelines and standard operating procedures. And Seattle of all places?? The epicenter of corona virus in the U.S., how does that make any sense?
When we left Viet Nam, as everyone goes through the gates, there is a machine that automatically reads your temperature at a distance. Compare that with our arrival in JFK which was quite shocking. We all disembarked from the plane and then were kept herded together in tight quarters in the tunnel waiting to have our temperatures taken with the handheld thermometer machine, one by one. Nothing automated here and nothing made sense. The worse thing you could do is be herded together! So much for social distancing.
Still chuckling at the Indian restaurant anecdote. Time for us all to stop putting blame on the other. A virus does not recognise skin color or passport. Now in Viet Nam, there is a rule that everyone HAS to wear a mask when out in public. So at least that eliminates the nasty looks and comments that Westerners were experiencing last week.
Twilight zone indeed. The most extreme Twilight Zone moment for us was watching a documentary/interview of Bill Gates who in 2015, was articulating his view that the U.S.’s national security imperative was to get ready for a global pandemic and comparing the massive funds funnelled into the defense industry while a fraction of that budget goes toward global health care initiatives. How very surreal and sad to read that the U.S. government, executive and congress are quickly agreeing to one trillion dollar initiative to provide individual subsidies and a three hundred billion dollar rescue package for small businesses when spending a fraction of that trillion dollar budget for prevention would have been far more beneficial and responsible.
Ben
From the beginning of your post, I had a feeling that you might end up in Mexico 🙂 ! I think that’s a great place to hunker down for a while… or longer. Unfortunately, it appears that no country is safe but hopefully Mexico will have the right combination of culture, weather, and cost-of-living for you. I am so curious to find out where you settle down and will be anxiously following your journey. You’ve been through so much the last few weeks and you deserve some down time to regroup and figure out your next steps. I wish the two of you the best!
Janis thanks for the info re Mexico. Mexico has the right combination of features we are looking for but where we want to be is yet to be determined. With regard to CV, it seems that has not hit here yet… driving through Mexico City it was clearly still buzzing and full of people, street vendors, music, traffic, same as usual.
Ah it has been rather overwhelming. Looking forward to some down time and quiet in the mountains…
Peta
You are welcome. Please let me know if you need anything else. I imagine that it will be hard for the Mexican people to practice social distancing. It’s just not part of their culture (which, of course, is why we love them). Stay healthy!
Very hard for sure. Right now no one is practising social distancing and about half the restaurants (for example) are closed and the rest are still open. We went past the market this morning and it was in full swing. There is lots of talk about what to do about Semana Santa as if they shut down then the economy will be hard hit and so there seems to be a mix of opinion on this.
Mexico…wow, I didn’t see that coming! What a ride this has been (continues to be) for you guys. Your flexibility and grace under pressure is phenomenal.
I’m glad you were able to say a proper good bye to Sri Lanka despite the crazy circumstances. As I was looking at your photos all those great memories from a year ago came flooding back. I felt like I was right there with you in your lovely home. You have been so kind and generous to Nilu and her family; I’m happy that her future looks positive.
As much as I was selfishly hoping to visit you in Hoi An, Mexico is a lot closer and we go there quite often.
You take good care of yourselves. Mike and I send our love and look forward to hearing more about the next chapter in Mexico.
Well, we didn’t see it coming either! Oh man, what a ride… Pretty crazy that once again while we were away from our home base, the “shit hits the fan”. I’m not feeling all that graceful right now ~ am more in the shellshocked phase. But I guess as long as one can be calm and flexible at the decision making time, that is what ultimately matters.
Wow, amazing to think that your visit was a year ago already.
I am sorry to leave our home in Hoi An, but at least we had 9 really good months of living there. It would be fun to see you both in Mexico. Whereabouts in Mexico have you favored?
Thank you. Much love to you both too.
Peta
Wow. Hold on. Let me catch my breath. I’m reading this early Friday morning, and my guy keeps hearing me go, “what? Now? Where?” so loudly that I end up reading your entire post out loud to him. We are breathing in all that you have to say (and agree with it all). I’ll admit, I was hoping Bali would work. But now you’re closer to family and in a warm climate and we all, your followers, will learn so much about living in Mexico. I don’t know what the virus is doing there, or what Mexico is doing to lock down. More to follow, I’m sure.
In the meantime, I got kinda teary eyed, hearing about your Sri Lanka family, the goodbyes, and the good news on many of them. We both send you good wishes for life in your new home.
Pam, it took me a while to let go of the Plan B Bali plan too. I always assumed that was our next move, either as a plan B or actually moving from Viet Nam to there this summer. Even though we are in Mexico and not the U.S. just being on the same time zone as our families has made all the difference during these challenging times. Psychologically it feels good to be closer.
Mexico is alarmingly laid back about Corona Virus ~ much like the U.S. was before it hit. The borders with the U.S. are closing this weekend, so again we got in, in the nick of time.The U.S. is telling Americans who are out the country to either stay put or head home. Not sure it makes sense to encourage people to head home: that means thousands and thousands more people coming from all over the globe and going through airports and more people to drain the system of resources both medical and food.
Glad we got to say good bye and close out the Sri Lankan chapter. And very glad that we did not get stuck there. The day after we left, the airport in Sri Lanka shut down. We have read that locals started kicking foreigners out of hotels, and refusing them taxi rides. Challenging times for sure.
You surely had a crazy week. This has really been moving fast everywhere, especially for people who had to travel. I hope you settle down well in Mexico City. I visited the City in 2017 and fell in love with it. It’s not what I had expected. I was supposed to visit family in April as per my tradition but put that on hold. I was going to visit my friend in Romania then other friends in Finland in June, but that too is on hold.
Ah yes what a crazy week!!! For sooo many people all over the world. The added feature of having to travel #coronarefugees added more crazy, for sure. We do not plan to settle in Mexico City, just to land there. From there we head to the mountains and then to the coast. Thanks for reading us and for sharing your thoughts…
Peta
Wow, Ben and Peta, what a whirlwind of life decisions. Your post so beautifully illustrates your collective resilience, openness to change and optimism. What important qualities to have in a time when you need to find a home somewhere in the world.
The parallels you drew between the actions of both sides of your family during WWII are stark, valuable reminders that we all have choices to make as the pandemic impacts our lives. We can wait or we can act, in big, small and potentially lifesaving ways.
I particularly enjoyed the update on Nilu’s life and future. I think of her frequently, navigating life in Sri Lanka on her own. It’s wonderful to hear she’s thriving and that she so wisely applied your support, as well as the support of many of us, to take care of her sons, create opportunity and find a path forward. Love that photo of the Doha airport and the message on the left — Will not stop the green… global trek!
Congrats on going off trail into the unknown and creating a new home in Mexico. I and my husband hope to meet you someday when borders open and travel resumes. ~Kelly
Kelly, we both really appreciate your thoughtful and supportive feedback. I feel very grateful that Ben is the master of openness to change and optimism. He drags me along and I am slightly behind him and do eventually catch up but for me it is not instant, as it is for him.
“We can wait, or we can act” ~ you synthesized the essence of what Ben was trying to convey. It is in fact a version of the well known and typical “fight or flight” human response.
We are very pleased with how things have evolved for Nilu and her family. And even though they were sad to see us go, we know that she and her sons are doing well and on a good trajectory. And this is an important lesson we have learned yet again… One can have impact at a very real and personal level. One person, one animal, one family, even if it’s not long term forever commitment. Our actions if properly structured can make a difference by facilitating an alternative life trajectory.
Great catch on the Green… global trek messaging.
It would be wonderful to meet you both ~ Benveniedos.
Peta
Wow, wow, wow. Your life of the last year has been a mega saga. And I was hoping 2020 would bring some reprieve for you both. Nope! The decisions, stress, travel, and changes you had to go through are enormous. Life changing. Crazy. Exhausting. When I was reading your post, I thought you’d be in Mexico temporarily, before returning to Vietnam after this crisis and picking life back up there. Then, scanning the comments, I realized Mexico will be your new home base. Once you find one.
Lots of questions were answered, but more are to be had: Where are you staying right now? How does this move affect Ben’s job? Do you have an area in mind where you’d like to settle as expats? And so on. I’m sure, slowly but surely, you new life will take place. I, for one, was very sad to see your Sri Lankan chapter cut short, this time around. Having to sell your belongings and saying goodbye to everyone. Bittersweet. If you’re anything like me, closure is important and a few days just doesn’t do it. But, it is what it is.
I’m impressed at your ability to pack up and go. You know, it has been a reoccurring dream for me (when I was in my thirties on our sailboat especially) that something would happen in the world and I’d have to pack up and leave within ten minutes. I’m convinced I can do it, but that’s only because I’m a minimalist, know where my valuables are to be found, and know how to pack quickly and efficiently. It sounds like you both have that under control as well. 🙂
Many more insights and thoughts to share among nomads here, but let me finish by saying that I totally appreciate and respect all the things you’ve gone through. Nothing is certain anymore and I can only attest to the fact that living simple and knowing your priorities helps in times of distress. I hope you find some peace the coming days to let everything settle in your minds and bodies, before diving into this new search (so quickly after the last one) for a home base. Imagine doing all this with a dog in tow…
Liesbet, it’s great to read your comments, because you really do get it! We were looking for that reprieve too. However, the time we had in Viet Nam was very special and we enjoyed all it and certainly appreciated it while our lives were unfolding there.
Yes, the combination of the huge life changing decisions and the super long travel have been intense. Luckily we both have stamina and, sigh, we have done this before.
Once we make a big move…. like this one, which is changing continents, changing culture, changing language, we prefer to look forward and put our energy to building our new lives rather than waiting to go back to what we had. Who knows how long this crisis will last.. if we had thought it would be a short one then we might have made a different decision but it felt like a life redirect on a big scale.
After landing in Mexico City we scored a home exchange (upcoming blog post) for a short reprieve before heading to our new home base on the Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca.
We have very few possessions ~ four pieces of luggage with us, one of which is my beloved rebounder which I was determined to bring along! We do have my paintings in Sri Lanka stored safely with Nilu and hopefully we will get them shipped to one of our sons in the future when things have settled down somewhat. There was no time for us to do that…
Ben’s job continues although of course travel to Philippines is put on hold for all involved. Time will tell how things play out…
We too were definitely disappointed that the time which was supposed to be a leisurely goodbye and pack up was condensed into such a short time. Not easy to be sure. However, we have already psychologically moved on from Sri Lanka, much harder for me at this time was the abrupt end to our lives in Viet Nam. So both of these factors happening at the same time was incredibly intense. I think we were so focused on not getting stuck in Sri Lanka that we kept our eye on the big picture and are still processing all of it.
Totally agree on living simple and knowing priorities ~ the experience over stuff sure pays off when one has to move quickly and make life changing decisions.
We have decided on a region for our new home base, based on research and recommendations from one of our sons and his girlfriend who were recently in the region.
Well, we did it the first time to Nicaragua with TWO dogs and after that experience, we said, never again will we move internationally with an animal, Just too difficult.
Thanks for such great feedback.
Peta
xoxo
Hi Peta!
Thank you for the detailed reply and answering my questions. I’m genuinely interested in how you pull all these moves off logistically, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Practice makes perfect. 🙂
Mark and I are a bit at a loss about our future (even before this COVID-19), so, in a way, having “fate” decide for you or push you one way or another kind of helps…
Oaxaca is an amazing area and expat-friendly. Maybe we will come visit you there, since Sri Lanka and Vietnam didn’t work out. Take care and enjoy the move. I love how you always look forward and never backward. Xx
Your thought process in deciding what to do is inspirational. I love how you put logical reasoning above everything else. You sort out your decision based on practicality, necessity and other things that you know are important to both of you, and these things vary from one person to another. I wish both of you luck starting a new chapter of your lives in Mexico, and we all hope this pandemic will be over sooner than later!
Thank you Bama.
Actually the first layer before logical reasoning, is a gut instinctive decision for prompt action. It is only after the decision for action, that the logical reasoning kicks in, as we may as well improve our odds of success. Yes we have learned to prioritise our needs so that we know how to filter a successful transition.
Ben
Wowza! Welcome to Mexico. Happy to be sharing a country with you once again. That was certainly unexpected.
We are safely tucked into a marina in La Paz and have been able to fully replenish our ships-stores. Mexico has been slow to respond to the virus and until a few days ago, it was just like any other day here. We’ve only recently seen event cancellations, social distancing in restaurants, and school closures locally. We are hearing rumors now that the ports may close which will disallow us from sailing onward.
Stay safe and healthy.
Well thank you Lisa!! Unexpected indeed. Well we were starting to discuss Mexico as a potential future long term play. So we fast tracked under the circumstances.
Ahh La Paz. That is a place I look very forward to discovering some day. I’m looking at the map and thinking it’s not much of a boat ride away, so do hope that we get to reconnect at some point while you are still in the region. When you are able to sail onward, what is the next destination?
Yes it is amazing to see how slow Mexico is responding to Corona. Life is pretty much going on as normal. Certainly the markets are full and buzzing and Mexico City was no different than any other time. Hoping that some preventative measures are put in place soon to help prevent the spread of the virus. There is a lot of discussion it seems about whether to shut down Semana Santa (seems the correct move) or not.
Peta
Wow. Talk about rolling with the punches. Hopefully your new situation will give you a chance to escape the worst of the chaos, and when the virus does arrive people behave at least somewhat sensibly.
We try to “roll with the punches”. We got out of Sri Lanka just in time before the airports got closed. We got into Mexico just in time before the borders closed
So far it is rather alarming that Mexico is not gearing up and taking the virus seriously. People are still going to the market and out to restaurants… There is debate about whether things will close down for Semana Santa or not. San Miguel seems to the be the only place that is in a lock down mode.
Peta
Oh wow, you two amaze me. What a journey you’ve faced, with so much uncertainty. I suppose you’ve just had to leave behind everything in Hoi An. Maybe one day you’ll be able to get back there.
Mexico is a great choice. It’s one of my favourite places.
I wish you both well in your new life there.
Stay safe.
Thanks Alison. It has been quite a ride for sure. Yes, all our belongings (not that many but things like clothes, my flute, paints, paintings) are in Hoi An. Fortunately I have a friend staying there who can pack up what essentials we need and send them on.
We look very forward to discovering Mexico in the future. For now, hunkering down near the coast in a rental house.
Stay safe as well
Peta
It amazes me that you built so much practical and gorgeous affection into your Sri Lankan house, then made a quick decision to move thousands of miles away in the amount of time I’d still be writing a grocery list. But the virus looms like a gathering storm, and I understand your prompt move to safer ground. I wish you well in your new home.
I hope the virus slows, and I worry every minute. Yesterday I was told that my 35 year old cousin is in ICU in a Virginia hospital. After days of begging, her family was finally able to get her tested for Covid 19 but the results won’t be in for more than a week.
Agent Orange has decimated this country, leaving us without defense for an invader like Corona virus. I’ve heard that most recently he’s getting bored with social distancing, so we are even more at risk because of his foolhardy behavior.
But I’m also impressed with local responses. City and state governments are taking charge to protect citizens as much as possible. Small business owners are taking loans so they can continue to pay their employees even though the businesses are closing temporarily. Many individuals are doing so many thoughtful things: offering free online classes, picking up groceries for the elderly, walking their neighborhoods to check on everyone and make sure they’re OK. We have no ethical leadership from the federal government but we do have many who are stepping up.
Now we’ll have to see how sick we get, how many businesses fail completely, how many people end up homeless, how many will die, how much of the fabric of democracy is destroyed.
Sharon yes we are with you on the entire spectrum of fallout in lives lost, economic impact and political leadership, or lack thereof. If one looks for one encouraging sign in terms of politics it is good to see that the governors are stepping up, for the most part, except for a few lunatic governors who are still in denial about their moral and ethical responsibility to organize a robust response. At least Cuomo in NY, Pritzker in Illinois and Gavin in California are surging with decisive leadership skills.
It feels like a crash in slow motion as we know we are but at the beginning of a huge uptake in cases in the U.S.
Hope your cousin in ICU has a speedy recovery and is able to regain health as soon as possible.
With regards to our house in Sri Lanka, we have already moved on psychologically and emotionally. Lessons in non attachment to stuff and things and homes and home belongings.. Not easy, but necessary. And it all seems so trivial in the face of the pandemic that now we face and people falling ill daily.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments and stay safe.
Ben
Hi Ben and Peta, A thread running through your post is how being together with your partner is a priority during these challenging times. I love how you called your home “Artist Haven.” The concept of shedding “stuff” is a huge reminder for me. You had minimal stuff and yet you still had to let it go.
A very poignant story how this virus is affecting every single person in our Global community. Your words “respond quickly and forcefully” resonate with me. I think I stopped breathing reading your post. You remind me of the words, flexible, resourceful, take action. Reading through the comments “shit happens.” A suspenseful thriller. Unfortunately, non fiction. Take care and stay healthy.
Erika, yes, being together is the first priority. If we are together we know we can manage stress and challenges more easily. A friend coined the name “Artist Haven” for us and it just stuck.
At our most free when we were travelling in SE Asia for one and a half years, we each had one very small bag and one back pack and we were as happy as can be. That is when we realized that stuff, actually bogs one down! Of course we too tend to accumulate once we stop moving, in order to create a comfortable and aesthetic living space. However, once we move one we are conscious that our things in that environment will not move with us. It is just not practical. And so we have to give up stuff that we love each time. For me it was the beautiful made to order coffee tables from old window shutters and for Ben he had to leave his French coffee press and some of our beautiful ceramics.
Yes we are all being affected at some level. Some of us more than others an we are only at the beginning of the curve in the Americas sadly. This virus will be the defining event of the currently living population much as WW II was for the prior generation, and WW I for the one before that.
Writers and philosophers have written prolifically over centuries about crises testing man’s survivability. So here it is again… It is our turn to find a path of survival through these challenging times.
Stay safe, thanks for reading and for your feedback.
Peta & Ben
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Your story was amazing and hit very close to home. My husband and I are also global nomads – sold everything we owned and hit the road with just our backpacks two years ago. We were in Vietnam in January when things started to hit and watched it get really serious. It was amazing how quickly Vietnam responded. As early as that, Vietnam was handing out masks and ensuring people wore them everywhere. If you were on the street without one – we weren’t- an officer would stop and give you one. Chinese and Russian travel stopped almost overnight. It was eerily empty, especially after Tet.
We then were in Bangkok for February and watched that city respond. It was very reassuring how seriously they took it and the steps they took to respond. Masks and hand sanitizer at the BTS stations. Constant cleaning. Thermal scanning at malls.
At the end of February we went to Koh Tao, fell in love with it and decided to stay 6 months and ride out the storm there. And then it really got bad in Europe and the US. As you said borders were closing, flights cancelling. We felt the world closing in around us and, without long stay visas yet and on an island with minimal health facilities, we knew we had to leave. Once we made that decision it was a sprint to make it out in time. It was the hardest decision we’ve had to make in quite some time.
We got a flight from Koh Samui to Singapore – the next day Singapore stopped those flights- and on to LA, the day they closed the Mexican-US land border. The difference was stark. Singapore has tons of thermal scanners going, lots of precautions up. LA had NOTHING. Nothing.
But now I get to the best part. We also decided to get to Mexico! In our case Baja, which we know and love. We did it for all the reasons you mentioned and a few of our own. The food and the people. If you get tired of the mainland, come on over and we can swap stories over a tequila.
Best wishes and stay safe.
Hi Marcy
Welcome to Green Global Trek and thanks so much for your captivating comments. So nice to “meet” fellow global nomads who have just gone through a similar sequence of crazy. How interesting that we both opted for Mexico. And yes, we should add the food and the people to our list of positives.
I would say that Baja was definitely a contender, although we have never been there before. But then again, nor have we been to Oaxaca where we are currently making a home base! Haha. But yes, we should meet up hopefully when we are all on the other side of this virus and hey we can even do a home exchange perhaps.
We too were so impressed with how quickly and decisively Viet Nam took action. At the time many thought they were being over zealous and wondered why they took such stringent measures. But after SARS, they knew the drill. We certainly felt very safe there and still today there are zero cases in Hoi An where we lived. Sorry to leave our home base there, but excited about our new one.
So great to read you. Thanks for taking the time to write us…
Bienvenidos
Peta & Ben
P.S. We should connect by email: petakaplan@hotmail.com
Your adaptability is amazing. And what a tale of how covid-19 impacts our lives. Thanks for this excellent post. –Curt
Hi Curt
Thanks for stopping by to read us… and for the compliments.
Peta
Certainly, everybody is living the current situation differently, but your adaptability and ability to move around the globe is inspiring.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Switched my mind set from “what people are suffering” to “what people are capable off”.
It the midst of this chaos and stress, it’s been a happy relief.
Best wishes
Thank you Santiago and welcome to our Green Global Trek.
Love the mindset switch to “what people are capable of”.
Having lived or travelled through several dozen countries in the last decade, it does make it easier to move around the globe. We know that we can adapt and make a home almost anywhere.
Ben
Mais quelle aventure !!! Bravo pour la resilience, et tout de super bon pour les nouvelles aventures ! On vous embrasse fort
Salut! Pas exactement ce qu’on avait prevu! Super de t’avoir rencontree avec toute la famille. Bises du Mexique! Et si je connais tes enfants il vont vite regarder sur une carte ou se trouve le Mexique. Cherchez Oaxaca!
A+
Ben
Hi Guys, I see that I missed this posting LOL… I read of your arrival in Mexico and only then the one from 10th March, having somehow skipped over this one… – obviously some piece was missing (for me) and so upon further looking, found this post, which explains why no Vietnam and yes Mexico… LOL..
What to say – well done to you both for such fast and graceful decisions and action!! Definitely ultimate in letting go – Bravo!! Living in the Here & Now!!
This moment is all we have!
Quite the opportunity!! LOL…
What is to become of the house in Sri Lanka? Did you sell it too?
Regarding the post from 10th, Ben it was amazing to see your pics of such empty airports…
I flew from Dheradun in North India two weeks ago – left the 15th which is when you left as well, if I recall correctly, and there, it was not possible to not be touching people all the time, so crowded and small and rather chaotic. Flew from there to Delhi, which was still very functional, though given it’s size and many canceled flights, there was more space and quiet and order…, even if it was pretty crowded. At the new HUGE Istanbul airport, where I landed next, and which is a bit more like a name brand mall than an airport, it was also functional though a shell of it’s former self, with many canceled flights… and felt rather forlorn… Tel Aviv airport was a ghost town with mine being the only flight to land at that time of early evening, which I have never seen before. It was eerie – my taxi driver had me sit in the back which is also mostly unusual, with windows wide open as we drove along largely empty roads… At my apartment building, no one was in sight and so it has been since I am back and stayed indoors at home for two weeks. My home quarantine has ended today, so all dressed up with no where to go LOL… Well I went to buy some groceries… Most everything in stock actually…
All is well…
Stay well dear Ben & Peta – looking forward to hearing how it’s all going in Mexico!!
Much Love
Stan
Stan what a treat to read you… Still laughing at the “all dressed up and nowhere to go” LOL….
The string of airports is interesting because it shows how on the very same days how different parts of the globe were reacting and the three of us were in limbo making our way somewhere else, at the same time! So glad that you got back home safely. I have heard from my sister in Ashkelon about the extreme lockdowns, which make so much sense. We have a good friend in Goa who is still stuck there waiting for a flight to be arranged by the American Embassy.
The house in Sri Lanka was not ours, we were renting it for $300 a month. Well, the first year was rent free because we had converted it from a storage shed into a house with electricity, plumbing, a kitchen, a bathroom, a working roof.. So we were just tying up loose ends from the past year of our being in Viet Nam. We used the house in Sri Lanka for home exchanges but it was time to put closure to Sri Lanka.
Yes, action and quick movement is in our Jewish DNA. We anticipate the worst and therefore move quickly to do our best to prevent crisis. And ultimately I always believe that if we have health and love, we have it all. Very helpful when needing to “let go” and constant lessons in non attachment to places and to stuff.
So far so good. Very pleased with our decision of coming to Mexico.
xoxox
Much love your way
Peta
What an adventure. One thing about being a nomad is that it becomes so natural to be able to pick up and leave so quickly. Relatively easy to leave places behind.
J.D. natural yes, because we do it so often, but the “relative ease” is definitely something I have had to work on. It is not always easy.. For instance, much as I appreciate and aspire to practicing non attachment, the reality is I get attached to places and people, but we have to deal with the reality of our lifestyle over and over. For sure it is easier for us than most people that say have lived in one house for ten or twenty or more years. No doubt about that. We know the drill. We know what it takes and what to prioritize.
That said, it is still easier for Ben (no problem) than it is for me, and it usually takes me some time to digest and process what I have left behind. In this recent case, I left my work in Viet Nam where I had set up a practice from home and had children in the midst of play therapy sessions ~ which all ended abruptly and strangely with the airports closing.
Peta
How poignant it must have been arriving in Sri Lanka, knowing you were saying goodbye to your beautiful home and friends there. And, then to have your plans immediately altered as border closures forced you to not be able to return to Hoi An, another lovely home, and instead have to make new choices.
As so many others have commented, your resourcefulness and calm approach is remarkable. You’ve mentioned above that this pandemic is a life-defining experience for people around the world, much like WW1 and WW 2 were for the generations that preceded us. So true.
I am so glad to know that you have landed somewhere where you will make a new home and ride out the virus for the coming months.
Jude
Jude, yes, it was a remarkable double punch of having to essentially bring to closure two of our homes, two of our lives at one time. Very strange. Strange on several levels… For example, we had to deal with the logistics of sorting, shipping boxes of some essentials such as my paintings and some work clothes and personal items, from both countries at the same time. Also we had to say goodbye to friends in parallel in both countries. A lot to deal with at once, for sure. I will always take calm over drama, as a conscious choice in times of crisis!
Finally we have closed out Viet Nam with the last box shipped and things sorted out and donated to various places. Boxes of paintings still sit in Sri Lanka waiting for the lockdown to lift.
This pandemic is the current living populations defining moment in history. For sure. A global, simultaneous, lethal threat to all of has not happened before on this scale.
Thanks for your comments.
Peta
Hi! I’ve just found your blog via a recommendation by another in the blogger community. This post is similar to one of my recent ones. So glad you’ve found somewhere to be. We have too, but our new home is going to be temporary and we don’t know what’s next! Take care of yourselves, and I’m going to read the next post in this new chapter of your lives. 🙂 x
Hi Cheryl,
Welcome to our Green Global Trek! Thanks for reading us and leaving your feedback. We look forward to reading your Corona story.
Interestingly Ben and I never think in terms of forever of permanent because there just is no such thing. The only constant, is change. One of the benefits of living a nomadic lifestyle is that we are adept at dealing with change and can recreate a home and an eco system quite quickly.
Stay safe and healthy and good luck in your new home …
Peta
Hi Ben and Peta, I’ve been out of pocket and now I’m racing to catch up with you two. Wow! What an amazing story. Your resilience and flexibility have definitely served you well. And now, several months later I’m so glad to learn that you landed on your feet and appear to be thriving in Mexico. Fantastic! We faced a similar “you-gotta-make-a-split-second decision” when we were living and working in Khartoum, Sudan and experienced our second coup d’etat and direct threat to James’ company. It’s unnerving, but you just get through it. Congrats on coming through with flying colors. All the best, Terri
Thanks Terri. Khartoum! What an exotic location – yet another place we hope to visit some day. Too many places, not enough time… Yes I imagine that a coup in Sudan would justify scrambling for an exit. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts!
Ben
I missed this one for some reason but it appears you made the right decision. What I have learned from you two is that staying calm is the key. This reads better than most books and just about all movies. xo